Heston Blumenthal 'Down Under' - and sous-vide cooking in the TMX!

[Andrealphus]

Hi, loving how this seems to be inspiring people!

Michelle - I think your idea of doing the veggies first at 80, then adding steak at 60 is an interesting one, and worth a try (although if I just mis-remembered that and you said chicken, remember chicken needs a minimum of 2 hours at 60 to kill of pathogens, which I don't know how well your veg might survive? Still, at least veg are cheap - you could always take them out instead, then put them back in for a few minutes??).

Regarding Sunbeam - 5.5litres doesn't sound like much, and that's pretty cheap? You can also buy sous-vide circulators (if you don't want to buy a water bath), which you can clip onto the side of a container (i.e. stock pot, large tank), which do the same job, and have minimal storage, if that suits you better! Probably more expensive than a Sunbeam, but a lot more versatile?

As cooking in a water bath relies on the water being an even heat (mmm, is convection the word I'm looking for?), ideally the vac-packed goodies need to be seperated by a rack, and standing upright (like toast in a toast rack, rather than sitting on top of each other, or touching each other) so that the heat can circulate evenly.

Whereas with steaks, you might get some a little underdone, if you squeezed too many in (I'm thinking 7 might be difficult, depending on size and shape, although maybe possible), I'd be very cautious if cooking chicken or pork etc., because of the potential food poisoning if it isn't cooked at the correct temperature for the minimum recommended times.

Still, fascinating stuff, and thanks Michelle for your updates with how it's working in the TMX!

[Yvette]

Thanks Andrea for the info very interesting 

[mcmich]

Thanks for the additional hints Andrea. Yes cooking the veggies and then adding them back in for a short time would be a better idea. I thought you could leave everything (except chicken) after minimum cooking for up to 24 hours?

Interesting that the vac packs shouldn't touch each other and aren't upright. They have to in TMX.

I'm still really chuffed that the chicken breast worked and want to try one of the marinated recipes I've found. I'm hoping the marinade gives the chicken it's colour and I won't have to brown in a pan.

Thanks again so much for all the information Andrea. 

[mcmich]

Yvette, stacelee has just bought the sunbeam machine  She is the appliance Queen so will await her review 

[Yvette]

Thanks Mich, hope you use yours soon Stacelee 

[Andrealphus]

Michelle, I've never tried leaving veg in it, and I still more often cook them in different ways than in the sous-vide, so  not sure on the effects of leaving it in - 95% of the ones I have timings for are for under 1 hour? Also fish has quite short times, but I must admit I usually cook white fish pan/pan-roasted, although salmon is to die for!

There is a book by Douglas E. Baldwin called 'sous vide for the home cook', which has a few pages of temperatures for different cuts of meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables etc., although strangely he only suggests one temperature and time for fish, which I don't personally agree with. He also gives lots of recipes (basically for sauces etc.) which I think are absolutely dreadful, like something out of an eighties economy price cookbook, and I'd never use ANY of them - but that's just my opinion! It's a very good book for a paper reference for temperatures (bar fish!), but you could find all the information online for free!

Heston Blumenthal has a section in his 'Heston at Home' book, which is a great book with loads of things to cook to perfection, but there are only half a dozen sous vide recipes

And Thomas Keller has a book 'Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide', which I think is pretty cheffy, but I haven't bought it yet! It's next on the list when I have some spare cash though

If anyone else has or buys any good books on it, would be great to hear recommendations

[mcmich]

Andrea, I have watched several of Thomas Keller's videos. He says you can't cook green veg such as broccoli via sous vide.

What cook book would you recommend for a beginner?

Thankyou for provoking an interest in this style of cooking and that we are to do it on a small scale in in TMX 

[Andrealphus]

I'm not aware of anything decent at entry level (maybe because most people who have got to the point of cooking sous vide, can already cook, and sous-vide is more of a scientific way of just ensuring things are cooked to perfection as components of dishes, rather than something to cook whole dishes with, if that makes sense?) - the Douglas E. Baldwin I mentioned is a good introduction to temperatures and times for beginners, but I don't like his recipes (seperate to the times and temps). I've never considered doing broccoli, not least because it's suggested to blanch it first, and I don't see the point! I imagine it must look pretty squashed after being cooked in a vac pack too!!

Apparently Modernist Cuisine (not the home version) has plenty of sous-vide suggestions for vegetables etc, but I don't know of anyone who could afford it!

Worth looking at reputable chefs and restaurants recipes online to find ideas and recipes, e.g. http://www.veggiechef.co.uk/Blog/files/64C_Egg.html

Similar to TMX in a way, I guess, in that I've only found one decent cookbook for that too!!

Andrea

[stacelee]

I used it last night to do some chicken breasts to use in sandwiches and salads today since I've been banned from the kitchen for Mother's Day.  I couldn't resist opening a bag to try on (strange dinner last night, corned beef, cabbage, mashed potato, carrots and one sous vide chicken breast).  The chicken breast was lovely.  I'm already plotting what else to do.  I'm going to try prawns cooked with sweet chilli sauce to put over some rice or pasta.

A selling point for me on the machine is that I can have the meat bagged and ready to go and just drop it in the duo to cook while I make a curry sauce etc in the thermomix.  I also want to have a go at steel cut oats and baked custards/puddings which we eat over winter.  I can do them in the 5-in1 or the now working 6-in1 but the rectangular shape of the duo is  more practical. 

Someone made comment that its only small.  That is actually a bonus for me as I can find room for it and I normally am only cooking for 4  I only have a small kitchen so anything that gets to stay in my kitchen has to pay its way and get used.  The price was also a plus....it was $168 on special at Myers.  I can justify it at that price.  The breville is too expensive for the amount I am planning to use it.  It can also be a slow cooker which frees up other appliances over winter.  I could have bought a commercial unit at the right price as well, but again they are too big and too expensive for the amount of use I will give it.  I am spoilt with the fact I get the bags in large quantities at the right price so that is not a factor for me although I am planning on experimenting with mason jars for the custard and ziplock bags for liquid meals.

[Yvette]

Thanks Stacelee glad the chicken breast was so nice. Did you use the rack? How many steaks do you think you could cook using the rack?
Have a great Mothers Day

[stacelee]

There are 4 slots in the rack so probably only 4 although you might be able to balance one at either end.  It is not that deep so you wouldn't be able to put more than one per bag.  The breville is probably deeper so maybe you can do more in it.  I wouldn't normally do more than 4 for us.  I want to try hamburgers in it and meatballs for when I have more than 4 to feed.

[Yvette]

Thanks Stacelee let me know how you go 

[mcmich]

Thanks Stacelee. I would like to try burgers also. I saw a youtube video and they looked good.

[Bonsai]

I use a small unit (Sous Vide at Home) which you plug your slow cooker in to, it means you can control the temperature of water in the slow cooker to an exact amount and turn it in to a sous vide machine. Much cheaper than a 'real' sous vide machine and you can use your existing slow cooker to do an extra job!

This only works if you have a basic slow cooker with a knob which has low and high, not if it has a digital controller. I've used it to sous vide a variety of meats with terrific results. I do vacuum pack food to cook but the wonderful Modernist Cuisine at Home book says you can use ziplock bags with all the air squeezed out as well.

[mcmich]

So, Bonsai, do you put the slow cooker on high or low and for how long?